Through it All

Faith of the Ancients: Through it All

Good Friday noon Prayer

Intro: Power of Prayer

The story is told of a man who got a permit to open the first tavern in a small town. The members of a local church were strongly opposed to the bar, so they began to pray that God would intervene. A few days before the tavern was scheduled to open, lightning hit the structure and it burned to the ground. The people of the church were surprised but pleased - until they received notice that the would-be tavern owner was suing them. He contended that their prayers were responsible for the burning of the building. They denied the charge. At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, the judge wryly remarked, "At this point I don't know what my decision will be, but it seems that the tavern owner believes in the power of prayer and these church people don't." -Daily Bread excerpt

The More we Pray, the more we sense our need to pray.

The More we Sense a Need to Pray, the more we want to pray

-Jim Cymbala (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire)

last week

-Through Faith

Gideon (loner to leader)

Samson (Wrong to Right)

Jephthah (rejected to recruited)

Reverse the Verse

James 1:4 NASB95

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2–3 NASB95

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Read: Hebrews 11:32-38

Hebrews 11:32–38 NASB95

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

Main Idea: We often have to go through it to get to it. Faith gets us through!

(next week: Something Better)

1. Triumph

Hebrews 11:33 NASB95

who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

a. Success

i. Conquered kingdoms

1. Enemies to be defeated

2. Ground to be taken

ii. Administered justice (Performed acts of righteousness)

1. Personally do the right thing

2. Make things right in our world

iii. Gained what was promised (obtained promises)

1. Receive and possess

2. Fulfillment and completion

Hebrews 11:34 NASB95

quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

b. Rescue

i. Shut the mouths of lions - preservation

ii. Quenched the fury of flames - protection

iii. Escaped the edge of the sword - intervention

c. Victory

i. Powerful in battle - empowerment

ii. Routed foreign armies - overcome impossible odds

iii. Receive back the dead - resurrection and reversal

2. Tragedy

Hebrews 11:35–38 NASB95

Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

a. Persecution

i. Tortured - refusing release (don’t back down from faith)

ii. Verbal and physical abuse (mockings and scourgings)

iii. Chains and imprisonment

b. Execution

i. Stoning

ii. Sawed in two

iii. sword

c. Separation (the world was not worthy of them)

i. Clothes (sheepskins and goatskins)

ii. Poor (destitute)

iii. Rejected (ill treated)

iiii. Persecuted (afflicted)

iv. Homeless (wandering deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground)

Conclusion:

In the same breath “faith” is seen in the triumph and tragedy.

Hebrews 11:39 “all commended for their faith.”

Hebrews 11:39 NASB95

And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

How about you? Is your story a story of faith? “O say, can you see?” Hebrews 11:1-2

Hebrews 11:1–2 NASB95

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.

Faith that endures (dad)

There’s an eternal rest

this is all temporary

it’s gunna fade

everything that is painful, sinful, broken.. is gunna pass away

because it’s not what god has in store for me

there’s a resting place where there’s no more pain

There will no pain one day

there’s the physical side, there’s an emotion side

everyone in the room knows what emotional pain feels like

no more sorrow, no more grief, no more hurting, no more feeling alone

no more feeling insecure, no more feeling scared, no more feeling disappointed

no more feeling ignored, no more having your hopes dashed to pieces, no more...

I’m not home yet, this isn’t where I belong.

no more pain, no more sorrow

Philippians 1:21 NASB95

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:22 NASB95

But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.

Philippians 1:23 NASB95

But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;

Philippians 1:24 NASB95

yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.